More Human Than Human
by Amelia Novak
Summary: Raiden is young. After another mission comes up, Rose breaks up with him. Experiment S-T-A-R-R, is ready to be released into the world. When the two meet, he's glad she isn't evil. RaidenxOC


"Snake."

The computer screen lit up.

In the corner of the dimly lit room, the dark haired man looked up from the gun he was tampering with.

"Colonel." Snake addressed.

The older gentleman on the screen folded his arms on his desk.  
>"Where are Otacon and Raiden?"<p>

Snake only grunted and looked back down. Foot steps echoed down the hall as the very two people rounded the corner into the main room.

Tall, brown-haired Otacon merely raised his hand to the screen, acknowleging him. The second, silver-haired Raiden, gave a meek "Hey." To both Colonel Campbell and Snake. He had just arrived to the medium sized house.

"Listen up," the Colonel began. "Hope you don't mind going on a mission so soon after Shadow Moses."

Suddenly Snake jerked upright and rigid. He had the gun in his hand, aiming for Raiden.

Raiden didn't flinch. Snake pulled the trigger and it clicked. Raiden smirked. "Empty magazine?"

"Hmm, good." Snake mumbled. Raiden shook his head and sat down in a plush arm chair. Otacon rounded his way to a separet wall of computers and began typing away, aimlessly.

Back on subject, Snake replyed to the Colonel. "Don't worry, Colonel. It's my job." Snake lowered the gun into his lap and began tinkering with is again.

The Colonel cleared his throat. "Raiden, aren't you curious as to why you're here?"

Raiden nodded. "Yeah, but I wasn't gonna interrupt. Figured you bring me up eventually." He finished, shrugging.

"I called you here because you will be going along."

Raiden looked suprised. "Really?"

Otacon thought this to be the perfect time to interject, "But Colonel, Sure he can hold a gun but his CQC. It's not nearly as high as it should be, Will he be alright?"

The Colonel laughed, "Don't forget he is going with Snake."

Snake grumbled and pulled a small canister from deep inside of his pocket. He pushed open the lid with his thumb and pulled out a cigarette. "Get on with the Mission Briefing." Snake pulled the cigarette to his lip and began to search for his lighter.

"Of course. Otacon, do you rememeber working with a 'Lane Smith?'"

Otacon pushed his glassed futher up the bridge of his nose before stroking his chin in thought.

Nodding ever-so-slightly, he began to speak, "We worked together on REX. Then he became a bit off. He wanted to put explosive nanomachines in humans. Undetectable and no free-will. Explosive zombies. Human bombs."

Snake lit the cigarette. Raiden stared down Otacon.

"The way he described the technology. . . It was advanced, at the time. The radius would be a small town, back then. With our technology now. . . States would be affected. That's only with one person too."  
>Otacon paused to recompose himself.<p>

"Never-the-less, I discontinued my work with him and, shortly after, he was discharged from the island. Needless to say, I haven't been in touch."

The Colonel nodded.

"Well, you remembered more than we could have hoped, Otacon. Doctor Smith did, in fact, carry on with his primary research. The bad news, he has become insane. Crazed with the ways of the human analogy. Learning the weak points upon a person and exploiting them. He is a murderer. We have to stop him. Far too many innocents have been harmed, including his wife and child."

"So the military sends us? Fun." Raiden mumbled to himself.

"Rest up. You're leaving early tomorrow."

The screen when black. The room fell silent.

"Harmony Smith. And Starr. I can only hope they are still alive." Otacon said with remorse.

"Starr would be about your age now, Jack."

Raiden. No,** Jack **smiled. "So I'm Jack now?"

Otacon smiled too."You're still just a kid."

Decayed bodies lined the floor at random. Smoke still rised from many of the corpses.

"These last two won't fall through, will they Doctor?"

The woman who spoke was  
>dressed in a knee-length black skirt, white button-up blouse, covered by a long white lab coat. Long, red hair was tied into a tight ponytail. Her eyes, round and green, were framed by thick, black glasses.<p>

"Don't worry Sheska" ,the 'Doctor' Replied "They're perfect."

Dr. Smith smirked wickedly. His ice blue eyes stuck out against his pale skin and messy black hair. His pressed white shirt and lab coat were both saturated with blood.

"But Rose-!" Jack pleaded to his girlfriend. She interrupted him. . . Yet again.

"'But nothing, Jack! Tell me why you have to leave again! Tomorrow is our anniversary!"

Jack sighed. He cared for Rose, he did. But. . . He was saving people's lives! This was not his night.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I just-... I just can't."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Fine, Jack. Then don't you EVER think of coming back. We're through, for good."

The door was slammed in his face.

**RAIDEN **turned on his heel and walked back to the house where he would rest up at in peace.

"Strange."

Otacon stepped out of the millitary-issued vehicle that had previously dropped off both Snake and Raiden in the same spot.

They were just barely into Canada at a secret laboratory location.

Raiden and Snake were standing over a body, dead but still warm face-down in the snow.

Snake used his foot to roll over the corpse, which was immediately identified as male.

Raiden used his hand to wipe off the snow from his chest. Raiden narrowed his eyes. "What's that?"

Otacon shivered in distaste. "A bar code. It's one of Lane's zombies."

The corpse has shaggy golden-brown hair. He was twenty at the most.

Otacon took in a sharp breath as both Snake and Raiden drew their weapons.

The so-called corpse twitched to life, revealing matching Golden eyes. "Save Starr. . .Do what you can for her. . .Please. . . And tell her. . .I'm-. . ."

His eyes fluttered closed and his breathing ceased.  
>Raiden and Snake drew back their weapons and Snake turned to where his foot prints originated.<br>"He is indicating that she is near by, and only possibly alive." Snake said. "Let's go."

The three began running south of their position. The stench of blood covered their sense of smell and made Otacon wretch.  
>They reached a small hill, two bodies were dead on the outside of the metal door stationed in the side of it.<p>

Snake forced the door to open wider. Otacon followed suit with Raiden behind him.

It was a single, medium-sized room. Lots of corpses, both male and female, scattered about the floor.

Tanks. Large, glass tanks lined the walls. Serial numbers were digitally printed on top of each tank. Most of the doors to those glass cells were broken and opened.

All except one.  
>In the center of the furthest wall, the glass tank was intact. A thick, black liquid bubbled and swirled inside.<p>

Otacon gasped as he read of the code.

"Svk3-Tun8-Aknvw-Ri6-Rpv7"  
>Raiden frowned. "S-T-A-R-R. Wait... Starr! His daughter!"<p>

A cracking sound was audible.

A small, pale white hand emerged from the liquid, pressing hard against the glass from the inside.  
>"She wants out." Raiden said, whispering.<p>

There was a sharp 'click', and the room was flooded.

The glass door shattered and the dark substance gushed out.

Raiden and Snake drew their weapons and took a step foreward.

A small whimpering was heard.

"His. . .Daughter." Snake mused, confirming Raiden's theory.

Otacon quickly shrugged off his lab coat and walked briskly to the small girl.

"Starr! Starr, can you hear me?"

The small, substance covered frame held her eyes shut.  
>"Hey, Starr."<p>

Otacon reached a hand out to the girl.

"No."

The voice was small and broken, yet it was strong.

"Let me help myself, Hal. Besides, i'm covered in Benezoil Acidtate*. If you're not immune to it, it burns through your skin." **(I just made that up xD)

Otacon drew back his hand, frowning.

"Just let me wash it off, alright Hali?" She offer, using his old nickname. Otacon. **Hal** smiled.

"Alright, Starlight."

Starr lifted her head and opened her eyes. One was green, the other blue. She lifted a hand to Raiden.

"You. Come here."  
>Raiden walked slowly to her.<br>"This burns through human skin, not this 'muscle suit'"

He reached a hand down to her, which she accepted. He slowly pulled her upright.

"You're so light. . . That can't be healthly."

Starr smiled sweetly at him.  
>Shiny, white teeth breaking through the dark acid.<p>

"Thanks for your concern, but I've always been like this. Now, let go."

Raiden blushed a small amount, and hesitantly let go. He stepped back.

"Hal, stay close behind me." She turned to him. "Please?"

Hal noddded. His coat at the ready.

Limping at the corner of the room, Starr finally stopped.

"Hal, what is his name?" She whispered.

Snake was occupied inspecting the dead bodies and broken tanks. "Snake!"

He looked over at the smiling young adult. "Would you be so kind at to pulling that lever next to you?"

Snake looked down, and pulled the indicated lever.

The sound of water was apparent as it fell from above Starr.

She immeadtly began to run her fingers through her hair.  
>Washing the liquid off.<p>

Her hair was pale white, as was her skin as it slowly appeared.

There were cloth bandages wrapped around her chest, just enough to cover. Black cloth shorts clung to her thighs.  
>Snake pulled the lever back to its upright position as she signaled him to do so.<p>

Starr began to shiver, which was Otacon's que to hand over his lab coat.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Hali."

She hugged him around the waist. He patted the top of her head.

"You're a strong young lady, Starr."

Snake grunted at the moment they were sharing and began to look around once more.

Starr released Otacon and stepped over and around bodies til' she was facing Snake.

He looked down at her as she smirked up at him.

"You're short." He commented.

"Thanks." Starr glared playfully.

Otacon smiled at them. "Come on, let's head back."

"I'm sorry. Starr is incomplete and cannot leave yet."  
>Two figures stood in the door way.<br>"I see. As soon as we leave, Daniel made a mess... Tsk tsk. Children."  
>Otacon glared at the figure that was speaking.<p>

"How could you, Lane? Your own daughter!"

Snake and Raiden, once more drew their weapons.

Lane smirked. "Science."

The assistant held a chart and a small remote device. "Subject S-T-A-R-R has been released pre-maturely. What shall we do, Doctor?"

"Put her down. Like Daniel. Like everyone else." Lane said smoothly.

"But, um, Doctor. . ."  
>The assistant hesitated.<br>"She doesn't have the nanomachines in her. Her body rejected them..."

Lane became ridged. He glared at his assistant.  
>"And you didn't tell me this earlier, Lisa?"<p>

Lisa began to panic. "I'm sorry! I didn-!"

"Shut up."

In one instance, Lane was behind her. Hand over her mouth.

"Useless."

He snapped her neck.

She fell forward, dead.

Snake didn't hesitate now. He shot the man with the M-9 (Tranq) and he fell next, unconscience.


End file.
